What We Stand For

SMYS was founded in response to a public attack on the nursing profession and mocking nurses for wearing “doctor’s stethoscopes”. You can read about this incident here. This event led to a public national and global firestorm from nurses, allied health professionals, and the general public, and ultimately led to the #NursesUnite concept.

One staff nurse, SMYS founder, Janie Harvey Garner RN, decided to channel this very public outcry in a positive way and started a Facebook group, daring non-doctors to wield their stethoscope publicly and proudly. (For the record: we regard physicians highly as well, and more than a few joined in on the fun.)

As the group gathered members, pictures and steam, members began to speak of a vision of united health care workers making large-scale changes—safer staffing, safer work environments, improved professional advocacy, public education and support for peers, co-workers and colleagues. SMYS has 650k members and receives hundreds of new members daily.

SMYS is based in St. Louis, Missouri and is an organization that seeks to engage nurses, allied professionals and the public, and create pathways for self advocacy. We believe that the collective power of millions of nurses, engaged and empowered properly, can create the positive changes needed in the nursing profession and in healthcare.

SMYS is truly led by nurses. From our founder, an RN, to our advocacy initiatives for safe staffing, all of our efforts are organized and led by nurses. Our mission and goals are generated from polling the 650k member base. We work toward those goals through public events, fundraising, community discussion and generous giving.

Since inception, and through member support alone, we have conducted national and state level safe staffing rallies; held conferences and other events; established an ongoing international medical mission to impoverished contrives; provided nursing scholarships; and regularly engage in philanthropy for those in need. All of this is made possible by the #NursesUnite movement that includes a national network of dedicated nurse volunteers, leaders and contributors. Through people power, SMYS is taking a grassroots approach to systemic issues affecting nurses at the local, regional level and national level.